
A Short Monsoon Diary
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rain. The hillsides are lush
as late-monsoon flowers
begin to appear — wild
balsam, dahlias, begonias
and ground orchids.
August 31
It is the last day of August,
and the lush monsoon
growth has reached its
peak. The seeds of the
cobra lily are turning red,
signifying that the rains are coming to an end.
In a few days the ferns will start turning yellow, but
right now they are still firm, green and upright. Ground
orchids, mauve lady’s slipper and the white butterfly
orchids put on a fashion display on the grassy slopes of
Landour. Wild dahlias, red, yellow and magenta, rear
their heads from the rocky crevices where they have
taken hold.
Snakes and rodents, flooded out of their holes and
burrows, take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. A
shrew, weak of eyesight, blunders about the rooms,
much to the amusement of the children.
“Don’t kill it,” admonishes their grandmother.
“
Chuchundars
are lucky — they bring money!”
And sure enough, I receive a cheque in the mail. Not
a very large one, but welcome all the same.
October 3
We have gone straight fr
om monsoon into winter rain.
Snow at higher altitudes.
After an evening hailstorm, the sky and hills are
suffused with a beautiful golden light.
crevices:
narrow
openings or
cracks in rock
or wall
shrew:
(find its Hindi
equivalent in
the next
sentence)